Interview with Jade Grace, Managing Director, Labelexpo Global Series
What should a Label convertor expect from the upcoming Labelexpo Europe?
The last Labelexpo Europe was in 2019, in those four years, there were a lot of technical innovations during the lockdown period brought on by the pandemic. These products are now being launched in our industry’s biggest stage at Labelexpo Europe this September. There is a record number of product launches at the show with 250 registered so far. The converter will have to manage well to see everything on the show. There is a global launch of the HP 200k digital press, Xeikon XT 500, and many more.
The label converters are exploring the flexible packaging and this segment is very much part of Labelexpo now. We have six flexible packaging press demos at the show – you can see this at our specially curated FlexPack trail at the show. Everyone is moving to be a one-stop shop as the market is so competitive – they want the brand owners to stay with them across all printing needs.
The industry transformed in 2009 when we first introduced a dedicated digital printing hall at Labelexpo Europe. It really kickstarted the digital revolution in label printing. HP now takes a whole hall (the Patio) at Labelexpo Europe!
How many exhibitors are participating in this year’s edition?
Around 650 exhibitors are participating in the show. We are getting massive contingents from China, Japan, and Korea and Latin America. We also get a big delegation from India – visitors as well as exhibitors. It might be called Labelexpo Europe but it’s a truly global event.
What is your message to Indian label converters?
I can’t think of any prominent supplier that isn’t a part of Labelexpo Europe. Labelexpo Europe is the platform if you want to see what the industry has to offer. It’s the biggest and best gathering of the whole industry once every two years, so if you want to have a global perspective of industry and understand the trends affecting the market across the globe, you have to visit Labelexpo Europe.
How do you find the recent LMAI conference 2023?
I am impressed by the organisation and the energy of the Indian label industry. Everyone here has a massive thirst for knowledge and information, making it very fulfilling to do business in India. Although it is ultra-competitive, that fuels innovation which I see in abundance here.
Everyone sees India as having massive potential; you have the population mass, you have an educated the middle class that is exponentially growing – there is no doubt that it will be a tech hub and manufacturing base of prominence on the global stage in the near future. Probably sooner than anyone thinks.
